Anxiety, Depression, and Obsessive-compulsive Disorder in a Recently Diagnosed Case of Systemic Sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune condition that frequently affects women. It is a progressive, debilitating disease that has widespread manifestations, targeting different organs of the body with potentially fatal consequences due to lung and kidney involvement. Women with this disease mostly present with Raynaud’s phenomenon along with symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Just like any chronic debilitating condition, patients with systemic sclerosis often suffer from mental health issues that can further worsen their condition, significantly affecting their quality of life. Further research regarding the effects and severity of the disease should be encouraged for a better understanding of the illness, its diagnosis, and treatment. We present a rare case of a 55-year-old woman who presented with complaints of a major depressive episode. She was diagnosed with systemic sclerosis last year and has a history of generalized anxiety disorder. She was prescribed Mirtazapine, an antidepressant. On her follow-up after one month, she started complaining of obsessive ruminations that were causing her significant distress. She was prescribed an add-on therapy with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant with the emphasis being placed on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). She reported an improvement in her obsessive symptoms as well as depression after two months.